Fun opening of the second semester: 'Let's support each other'
On the first day of February, employees of the Faculty of Humanities gathered in the Faculty Club. They were there to usher in the new semester, while enjoying refreshments and drinks.
Dean Mark Rutgers opened the afternoon with good news: Cluster South has a new name. The complex, set to be completed this spring, is to be named after Egyptologist Herta Mohr. This makes it the first Leiden University building to bear a woman's name.
Substantial financial challenge
Rutgers then addressed the financial situation of the faculty, which shows a deficit for the coming years. 'We will continue to try to involve everyone as much as possible in this issue,' he emphasised, thanking the core team that has analysed an 'enormous amount of data' over the recent period. Now a steering group established by the Faculty Board will propose structural and realistic cost-saving options.
'Keep an eye out for one another'
In 2024, research evaluations of the institutes and further elaboration of the Faculty Strategic Plan are also on the agenda. It promises to be a very busy year, during which the outside world will also make its presence felt, with events such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the escalating climate crisis, and the formation of a new government. Rutgers concluded: 'Let's make sure we support each other in these situations. Ultimately, it is dialogue and mutual understanding that will move us forward.'
